Counterfeit FIFA World Cup 26 merchandise surges ahead of kickoff

By AI, Created 6:11 PM UTC, May 28, 2026, /AGP/ – Fake World Cup 26 jerseys, accessories and trade dress are already appearing across global marketplaces and social platforms. Brand protection teams say the tournament’s expanded, three-country format creates more room for cross-border enforcement — and more opportunity for counterfeiters.

Why it matters: - Counterfeit World Cup merchandise can siphon revenue from licensed sellers during the sport’s biggest sales window. - Industry analysis from the International Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition and the International Trademark Association estimates licensed merchandise programmes lose 15% to 25% of revenue to counterfeit competition during major tournaments. - The 2026 tournament spans the United States, Canada and Mexico, which increases shipping complexity and consumer confusion around authentic products.

What happened: - Counterfeit activity tied to FIFA World Cup 26 is appearing on global marketplaces ahead of the tournament. - Brand protection observers are seeing more fake jersey listings, branded accessory infringement and trade dress copying across major marketplaces and social commerce platforms. - Axencis says the pattern typically starts 8 to 12 weeks before kickoff and peaks in the two weeks on either side of the opening match. - Axencis identified three tournament-specific patterns: more fake jerseys for newer competing nations, more accessory trade dress infringement and more sellers using social commerce platforms. - Chris Stavrou, senior investigator at Axencis, said the 2026 geography creates a window to use Schedule A litigation against foreign sellers at scale.

The details: - FIFA World Cup 26 is the first World Cup hosted across three countries. - The tournament will feature 48 teams instead of 32. - Schedule A cases are federal trademark and copyright lawsuits filed against multiple defendants at once, typically in the U.S. Northern District of Illinois. - The procedure can be used to obtain temporary restraining orders, freeze marketplace and payment-processor accounts, and seize counterfeit merchandise across dozens of sellers in one action. - Michigan State University’s A-CAPP Center found about 4,200 Schedule A cases were filed in the Northern District of Illinois between January 2013 and February 2025. - The same research found 83% of those cases were filed since 2020. - In June 2025, a Northern District of Illinois judge stayed more than 50 Schedule A cases pending re-evaluation of procedural fairness. - Public 2024 industry reports said about 15 million counterfeit goods were seized during the year. - Straits Research valued the brand protection software market at $2.67 billion in 2024 and projected growth to $6.26 billion by 2033. - Axencis focuses on human-verified takedowns, Schedule A case enforcement and financial recovery from counterfeit operations. - Axencis works with brand owners in automotive, fashion, consumer electronics and licensed merchandise. - Axencis shared a LinkedIn page at the company’s social profile.

Between the lines: - The tournament’s expanded format gives counterfeit sellers more product lines to imitate and more routes to move goods across borders. - Social commerce remains a softer enforcement target than established marketplaces, which can let counterfeit listings spread faster. - Schedule A litigation is becoming a favored enforcement tool because it can target many overseas sellers in one case, but courts are paying closer attention to whether the process is being used fairly.

What’s next: - Brand owners are likely to increase pre-tournament takedowns and marketplace monitoring as kickoff approaches. - Enforcement teams may lean harder on Schedule A litigation if counterfeit listings continue to rise across multiple countries and platforms. - Judicial scrutiny of Schedule A procedures could shape how aggressively brands use the tool during the World Cup cycle.

The bottom line: - World Cup 26 is already creating a larger, more international counterfeit market, and brand owners are racing to use both marketplace takedowns and cross-border lawsuits before sales peak.